David De Gea has shared a heartfelt message with former teammate Lisandro Martinez after the Manchester United defender suffered a severe knee injury.

Martinez was visibly emotional as he left the pitch on a stretcher during United’s 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend. Following medical examinations, reports from TyC Sports confirmed that the Argentine has sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, an injury that will require surgery and is expected to sideline him for at least eight months.

As Martinez faces a lengthy recovery, his former colleague and ex-United goalkeeper De Gea took to social media to offer words of encouragement. The two played together during the 2022/23 season before De Gea departed Old Trafford as a free agent.

Posting on X, the Spanish shot-stopper shared images of himself and Martinez, accompanied by a powerful message: “As always, you do things… like a warrior.”

United, reeling from another disappointing home loss, will now shift focus to their next challenge. They are set to take on Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday, aiming to bounce back from their recent setbacks.

Gary Neville has hinted that Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim may not be fond of two of his strikers, following the club’s latest disappointing performance.

Since arriving from Sporting Lisbon in November, Amorim, 40, has struggled to establish consistency at Old Trafford. Out of his 19 matches in charge, United have suffered defeat eight times, with their latest setback coming in a 2-0 home loss to Crystal Palace. The defeat left the Red Devils in 13th place, a staggering 14 points behind the Premier League’s top four.

Amorim made a surprising tactical decision by benching both of his recognized strikers, Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund, opting instead to deploy Kobbie Mainoo as a false nine. However, this experiment proved ineffective, as Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta capitalized with a brace. Even when Zirkzee and Hojlund were introduced in the second half, they failed to make a meaningful impact.

In the aftermath of the match, Neville voiced his concerns over Amorim’s team selection, suggesting that the Portuguese coach may not have confidence in his striking options.

“It’s one of two things,” Neville explained on The Gary Neville Podcast. “Either he’s experimenting to find a system he likes, or he simply doesn’t rate the strikers he has at his disposal.”

Neville admitted that he had expected Bruno Fernandes or Alejandro Garnacho to play up front instead. “When I saw Kobbie Mainoo leading the line, I knew everything had to be perfect for it to work. From Crystal Palace’s perspective, they must have welcomed that decision because United had no real goal threat.”

He continued, “I’m not saying Hojlund would have scared them, but at least he provides a physical presence. Zirkzee is a big lad as well. These players might not be world-class, but I just couldn’t see how United were going to score. Where were the goals supposed to come from?”

Both Zirkzee and Hojlund have struggled to find form this season. The Dutch forward has managed just three Premier League goals, while the Danish striker has netted only twice in league play.

United had been seeking attacking reinforcements in the January transfer window, with Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel heavily linked to a move. However, Tel ultimately signed for Tottenham, leaving United with only the additions of wing-back Patrick Dorgu and defender Ayden Heaven.

Despite Amorim’s apparent reservations about his strikers, Neville insisted that the manager has no choice but to rely on the players currently available to him.

“He won’t be enjoying this period, but he has to simplify things,” Neville stated. “Even if he doesn’t rate Hojlund or Zirkzee, he needs to work with what he has. He can’t keep making drastic changes—it’s time to settle on a team and a system.”

The former United captain also delivered a damning verdict on Amorim’s tenure so far, pointing out that the club has lost five of its last seven home league matches. With United’s struggles mounting, Neville predicted further difficulties ahead, warning that the team’s ongoing woes could impact next season as well.

“I genuinely thought things would improve when Amorim arrived,” Neville admitted. “I expected the players to buy into his system and for results to take a positive turn. Instead, it’s been the opposite—it’s gotten worse. That’s really surprising.”

Looking ahead, Neville believes that unless results change quickly, United’s long-term prospects will be at risk.

“There’s going to be more pain before the end of the season, and that’s going to have lasting effects. Amorim will likely remain in charge, but the more United lose, the harder it will be for him to gain the players’ trust.”

He elaborated, “When players don’t believe in a system and keep facing criticism, it only worsens morale. Fans are already leaving the stadium disappointed. If the losses continue, the squad could lose faith entirely, which would have damaging consequences for the start of next season.”

Despite the grim outlook, Neville acknowledged that Amorim remains committed to his philosophy. “He can’t abandon his approach now—he’s put everything into it. But the numbers don’t lie. He’s lost more games at Manchester United in his short time here than he did in his last 75 matches with Sporting.”

Manchester United will have an opportunity to bounce back when they host Leicester City in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday.

Manchester City has made another significant move in the January transfer window, surpassing the $200 million spending mark with the acquisition of midfielder Nico Gonzalez from Porto. This signing aims to compensate for the absence of Rodri, who has been sidelined with a long-term injury.

Strengthening the Midfield

Gonzalez, City’s fifth addition of the window, could prove to be the most crucial, as the club has struggled for energy and stability in midfield following Rodri’s knee injury in September. The 23-year-old, son of former Deportivo La Coruna player Fran Gonzalez, was a Barcelona academy graduate before moving to Porto in 2023 for a reported €8.5 million ($8.7 million).

City triggered Gonzalez’s €60 million ($61.8 million) release clause to secure his services, marking a huge profit for Porto. Barcelona is set to receive 40% of the transfer fee as part of a prior agreement.

A Busy Transfer Window

Manchester City has taken an unusual approach this January, spending heavily to address a faltering campaign. The club recently suffered a demoralizing 5-1 loss to Arsenal, highlighting the need for reinforcements.

The window began with the signings of defenders Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens and Vitor Reis from Palmeiras for a combined $77 million. This was followed by Egypt forward Omar Marmoush, who joined from Eintracht Frankfurt for $73 million. Additionally, City signed 18-year-old left-back Christian McFarlane from sister club New York City FC and registered teenage center-back Juma Bah before loaning him to Lens.

Injury Crisis and Form Struggles

City’s squad has been plagued by injuries. Rodri’s absence has been a significant blow, while the team’s four primary center-backs—Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, John Stones, and Manuel Akanji—have all dealt with fitness issues, leaving the team vulnerable.

These setbacks have contributed to City’s slump in form. The club is now effectively out of the Premier League title race and only secured Champions League playoff qualification after a dramatic comeback win against Club Brugge.

Manager Pep Guardiola initially had no plans to enter the January market but was forced to act due to mounting injuries and declining performances.

Pressure on Gonzalez

Gonzalez faces high expectations as he steps into the defensive midfield role—a position that has proven challenging under Guardiola. Even Rodri, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, took time to adapt to Guardiola’s tactical demands.

Meanwhile, speculation looms over City’s future, with a highly anticipated legal ruling in English football set to impact the club. Potential consequences include expulsion from the Premier League or restrictions on future spending. This uncertainty may have influenced City’s decision to accelerate its recruitment strategy, securing young talent before any possible sanctions take effect.

Big-Spending January Windows

City’s spending spree is the second-largest ever in a January window, trailing only Chelsea’s unprecedented $350 million splurge in 2023. Chelsea’s acquisitions included Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Benoît Badiashile.

The impact of City’s new signings has been mixed so far. Khusanov endured a rough start, making an error that led to a goal just minutes into his debut against Chelsea, though he steadied himself in a 3-1 victory. Reis and McFarlane are yet to feature, while Marmoush impressed against Chelsea and showed promise versus Arsenal before City suffered another second-half collapse.

With the January window now closed, City will be hoping these additions help turn their season around and provide stability amid ongoing challenges.